Thinking of those well-known hot rice cake shops in Hanoi already makes your mouth water. Don't miss out on trying them, especially during the chilly weather.

On days as cold as this, having a steaming bowl of high-quality hot rice cake is truly heartwarming. Who wouldn't be crazy about it!

Thinking of those well-known hot rice cake shops in Hanoi already makes your mouth water. Don't miss out on trying them, especially during the chilly weather.

The cold, ironclad days at the beginning of the season are always the toughest for Hanoians. Accustomed to the clear blue skies of autumn, the crispness in the air, the weather suddenly seeps into one's bones with chilly winds, gray skies, and piercing cold.

And so, winter has arrived, and suddenly one has to wrap themselves in thick, bulky jackets, often still feeling cold. And then there's the matter of food, oh, that chilly weather easily makes one hungry and craving for food. Especially in the late afternoon, after expending all the energy, sitting cramped for 8, 9 hours typing away, brainstorming, attending meetings. In the chilly, gloomy, and energy-draining afternoon, the only thing that can lift one's spirits even slightly is to eat something hot and spicy to wake up, like a bowl of hot rice cake for example.

Hot rice cake is a winter treat greatly appreciated by Hanoians because it's tasty without being too filling. Sneaking off for a bowl in the afternoon doesn't ruin your appetite for dinner with the family in the evening.

Ngoc Han's Hot Rice Cake

When it comes to hot rice cakes, many automatically think of the hot rice cake shop on Le Ngoc Han Street, because 30 years in the business is enough to establish a habit and a reliable brand with Hanoi diners.

The entrance to the shop is deep in a small alley, a narrow path, but over the years, many people have become familiar with that route. The bowl of hot rice cake here consists of several pieces of hot rice cake, soft, chewy flour, a bit of sautéed pork, a few pieces of golden fried tofu. When all the fillings are ready, the seller will add some scallion oil, a few sprigs of cilantro, and pour in the savory sweet broth.

Eating a bowl of rice cake at Le Ngoc Han, one immediately notices the unique feature of the flavorful fish sauce but not salty, the soft, absorbent tofu, the minced pork blending with the fatty rice cake flour, fragrant and delicious. Especially on cold days, before eating, adding a few slices of fresh chili to the bowl to add a spicy flavor, the dish will taste even better than ever.

The bowl of rice cake here is served in a small bowl, just enough to warm the stomach without being overwhelming. The price of this typical winter snack is also very affordable, only 15 thousand, which is also an advantage so that diners do not have to worry about the price. In addition to hot rice cakes, this shop also sells additional items such as snail noodles, mixed noodles... at very reasonable prices.

Minh Khai's Hot Rice Cake

The absence of a fancy store, polite tables and chairs like Ngoc Han's hot rice cake shop, only selling for a few hours in the afternoon... but due to its delicious quality and very cheap prices, over the past 22 years, the number of regular customers of the hot rice cake shop in a small alley on Minh Khai Street has been increasing.

Although called a shop, the assets of this shop are confined to a small pushcart. Inside, there's a pot of fragrant sticky rice dough, covered with a large lid and insulated with cloth for warmth, alongside various ingredients, fish sauce, fresh herbs, glutinous rice cakes, bowls, spoons, and napkins. The shop starts selling around 4 p.m. every day, but often, customers are already waiting eagerly before everything's even set up.

Ms. Hanh, the shop owner, is a modest person who sells partly out of habit that she's maintained for so long, and partly out of sheer joy in her life. Her steaming hot rice cakes are soft and chewy, paired with savory minced pork cooked with dried shallots, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, and a perfectly blended fish sauce. The rice cake batter may be a tad thicker than the one at Ngoc Han's shop.

And when talking about the steaming hot rice cakes on Minh Khai Street, one cannot ignore the unbelievably low prices, with a bowl of rice cakes costing only 7,000 Vietnamese Dong. It's hard to believe that such a filling, flavorful bowl of rice cakes, abundant with meat and flavor, could be so affordable. Indeed, this incredibly low price is one reason why Ms. Hanh's shop has regular customers who visit almost daily. In addition to steaming hot rice cakes, the shop also sells hot black bean soup and glutinous rice cakes, all priced at 5,000 Dong. A price point that's truly unbelievable in this expensive city.

Trung Tu's Steaming Hot Rice Cakes

Nestled in the courtyard of the C2 collective housing area, this 20-year-old steaming hot rice cakes shop shines brightly in the culinary landscape of Trung Tu. Operating on the sidewalk within the collective housing area, without any signage or recognition, the shop always has a certain number of regular customers. In the winter season, there are days when the shop's bowls run out, with 2-3 large pots of rice cakes, totaling 20kg, being emptied.

Trung Tu's hot rice cakes, while still made from the same soft and elastic rice cake batter like other shops, have their own unique features, especially their dipping fish sauce. Tasting the dipping sauce here, you'll feel the sweetness from simmered bones, without excessive use of MSG or sugar. This subtly sweet dipping sauce combines wonderfully with the smooth rice cake batter, savory minced meat, and fragrant herbs, making it appealing even to the most discerning eaters.

Like other hot rice cake shops, Trung Tu's rice cakes are served with sautéed meat. The amount of sautéed meat in a bowl of rice cakes here is quite generous, accompanied by fried shallots instead of sautéed onions or fried tofu. A bowl of rice cakes costs 15,000 Dong here and is quite large, enough to satisfy those with smaller appetites. But if you're feeling hungry, the 20,000 Dong portion with plenty of minced meat is the perfect choice for you.

The shop is open every day of the week, from 2 p.m. until around 6 - 7 p.m., but according to the shop owner, it gets much busier on weekends than on weekdays, so around 6 p.m. or a little later, they often have to put up a 'sold out' sign. In addition to hot rice cakes, this shop also sells dessert soup.

Thuy Khue's Hot Rice Cakes

In terms of fame, many people may not know about this rice cake shop, but once you learn that it's been around for 70 years, spanning two generations, you'll be amazed. Actually, this shop doesn't specialize only in hot rice cakes like the three mentioned above but also sells rolled rice cakes. However, when it comes to taste, the flavor of the hot rice cakes here is worth mentioning.

It's known that the owner of this shop and the owner of the hot rice cake shop on Le Ngoc Han Street are blood sisters. Compared to the hot rice cakes at Le Ngoc Han's shop, the ones here are simpler, with only rice cakes, minced meat, and a bit of shallots, without fried tofu. However, thanks to the well-blended dipping sauce, richly flavored sautéed meat, and soft, chewy rice cakes, the bowl of rice cakes here is very satisfying.

On chilly days, holding a bowl of steaming hot rice cakes in hand, scooping up each small piece with a spoon to savor the chewiness and richness of the cake, one truly appreciates the deliciousness of this rustic dish. A fragrant and delicious bowl of rice cakes at this shop costs only 10,000 Dong. Even the tray of rolled cakes here is priced at just 10,000 Dong, and adding sausage will only cost you 15,000 Dong.

Delicious, affordable, and high-quality food is the reason why despite being tucked away in a small alley, this shop is easy to find, and even though seating may be a bit tight, it still attracts a large number of regular customers.

As reported by Afamily

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour